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The peer ranking shows that Rotherham and Redcar and Cleveland are doing well among the most deprived areas, while Bracknell and Central Bedfordshire have some of the highest rates of early death in the least deprived areas.

People living in the north of England have a greater risk of dying early than those in the south, according to a national league table of premature death rates published today.

Wokingham has the lowest overall premature mortality rate with 200 such deaths from 2009 to 2011, making it the best in the list of 150 local authorities. As you can see on the map above, most areas in the South are among the 'best' in the country for premature mortality rates.

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People living in the north of England have a greater risk of dying early than those in the south, according to a national league table of premature death rates published today.

The Longer Lives website from Public Health England ranks local authorities using a traffic light system, ranging from red for the worst areas to green for the best. Click here to see a map showing how where you live compares to elsewhere in the country.

There is a clear north/south divide in the statistics, which show the number of people under the age of 75 who died over a two-year period, with Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt describing it as a "shocking variation".